


Tezuka and Karupin

by SolosOrca



Series: Future-ish fic [7]
Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-04
Updated: 2017-05-04
Packaged: 2018-10-28 00:12:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10819674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SolosOrca/pseuds/SolosOrca
Summary: Karupin comes to live with Tezuka





	Tezuka and Karupin

The cat looked at Tezuka with an almost confused look. Tezuka stared back, unsure what to do.

Ryoma had asked him to take care of Karupin and Tezuka hadn’t had the heart to say no. He only lived a bus ride away from his boyfriend’s school and knew how much Ryoma missed the cat when it was living on the other side of the country in California. 

Ryoma had dropped off Karupin and left for school, promising to visit the next weekend. 

So now Tezuka had a cat to take care of. 

He wouldn’t describe himself as an animal person. The closest he’d ever had to a pet was a bonsai and now he was in charge of a living, breathing creature with little idea of what to do. Ryoma had assured him that Karupin was no trouble at all, but Tezuka doubted he’d ever describe his beloved pet as anything else.

He knelt down and moved to pick up Karupin, but the cat shot off between his legs, disappearing into the bedroom. Tezuka sighed and decided to leave the cat alone to settle in. He wouldn’t like it if some stranger chased after him just after he’d been left in a new place.

He made sure the food and water bowls were filled and then went about his daily routine. He’d taken the morning off training to help the cat settle in, but it looked like that wasn’t going to be necessary.

He occasionally heard Karupin scamper around the house, mewling as he tried to find where Ryoma had gone. Tezuka sympathised; he’d like Ryoma to come back too.

“I’m going out,” he told the empty living room (where he assumed Karupin was hiding) before he left for afternoon practice. He felt stupid, but it didn’t feel fair to leave without telling Karupin he was going.

At least whilst he was gone Karupin could get acclimatised to the house without a human he’d met only a handful of times walking around. 

* * *

Karupin was still hiding when Tezuka returned that evening, but the empty food bowl indicated that he was still in the house. A soft mewl from the bedroom as Tezuka was cooking his dinner confirmed it.

Tezuka didn’t see Karupin until late evening when he was sat reading. He was aware of being stared at he he peeked up from his book to see Karupin stood in the doorway watching him carefully. 

Not wanting to scare the cat, Tezuka moved his eyes back to his book, listening as Karupin trotted into the room and leaped onto the sofa next to him.

“Ryoma will be back in a few days,” Tezuka told Karupin, who flicked his ears and continued to stare up at him. Cautiously, Tezuka reach out a hand and rubbed Karupin behind the ears, relieved when the cat didn’t try and bite him. “I miss him too.”

Karupin chirped in reply, which Tezuka assumed must be a ‘me too’ and then climbed into Tezuka’s lap. He’d never watched how a cat moved before, with a purposeful carefulness. He was about to settle back to his book when his phone rang. 

“Hello,” he said, unable to stop himself smiling when Ryoma’s voice came down the line.

“How are you doing?” he asked, sounding tired but happy. He must have had some good tennis matches today.

“We’re both fine,” Tezuka replied, a hand stroking Karupin, who was purring happily. “Karupin has come out of hiding.”

Ryoma laughed, “he was scared of your Buchou face.”

“He was looking for you.”

“Stupid thing.”

“I would imagine your scent is all over the house.”

“Especially in the bed,” Ryoma said and Tezuka’s cheeks heated up.

“No doubt.”

“I’ve got homework,” Ryoma said regretfully, “I should go do it.”

“You should indeed.”

They said their goodbyes and Tezuka returned to his book, Karupin snoozing happily in his lap.

Later, Karupin followed Tezuka to bed and curled up next to him.


End file.
